On March 1, 2023, Dr. Ralph Ford, the Chancellor of Penn State Behrend, delivered his annual State of the College address, during which he discussed Behrend's Open Lab environment. The VAR Lab was showcased as one of the Open Lab initiatives that provide Behrend students with a diverse set of experiences. This recognition demonstrates the
Remington Orange, a producer at XRcast Studio, is leading a new series called VR RunThroughs that will feature a rotating selection of hosts. The hosts will complete various VR programs from start to finish, showcasing the controls, navigational menu, and all activities within the program. They will specifically highlight ease of navigation, comfort level, and
We are excited to announce the creation of our first graduate assistantship within the VAR Lab! Being able to provide graduate students working within the VAR Lab with assistantships is a huge milestone for the lab and it’s goal of providing enriching experiences to student workers while also ensuring they are fairly compensated for their
Remington Orange, producer at the XRcast Studio, is spearheading a new series called VAR Travels, with co-hosts Marcus Jacobs and Lauren Cass. VAR Travels is a mixed reality podcast that uses the Google Earth VR program to take the audience on a global journey. The program is unique in that it provides comprehensive visual data
Reflecting on the past year, we are pleased to report that 2022 was a highly successful year for VAR Edu, Behrend's immersive Open Lab. The program established a strong presence on campus and was accessible to anyone interested in learning about immersive technologies. In Spring 2022, VAR Edu introduced open hours for the final 8
VAR Studios recently hosted an Augmented Reality (AR) workshop in collaboration with Teaching and Learning with Technology from the University Park campus at the Penn State Behrend campus. TLT provided iPads for participants to create augmented reality assets using Adobe Aero, a leading AR creation platform. The workshop was open to Behrend students and faculty
Thank you to Behrend Magazine for writing the article "Making History Immersive," which discusses the use of our virtual and augmented reality technology to enhance historical experiences for visitors at the Hagen History Center. Click here to read the article: https://behrend.psu.edu/news-events/behrend-magazine/winter-2022/making-history-immersive
VAR Edu, Behrend's immersive Open Lab, has been awarded a $100,000 grant by the Learning Space Committee to enhance the learning environment. The grant proposal was authored and submitted by Dr. Chris Shelton, the Director, and Marcus Jacobs, the graduate project manager, in Fall 2022. The funds will be used to equip the space with
VAR Studios is thrilled to announce the launch of a new studio space that expands our production capabilities. The XRcast podcasting studio is designed to capture mixed reality content, with limitless use cases for creating more engaging course materials, producing VR RunThroughs of various virtual reality programs, entertainment. Faculty can use these reviews to choose
Thank you to Animation Career Review for including Penn State Behrend among the Top 50 AR/VR colleges in the US. Click here to see the rankings for yourself. The VAR Lab is honored to be a part of the Behrend campus and benefit from the presence of several great technology-related programs. The organization is proud
